Blackberry Smoke: Be Right Here Review

Blackberry Smoke’s 15th album, Be Right Here, starts off strong with a literal drum kick into blues rock with ten songs about hope, love, and overcoming tribulations by making choices that affect you one way or another.

“Dig A Hole” is about facing yourself when in a situation and choosing where to go with the hand you’ve been dealt. It’s a song of self-reflection and accountability for one’s choices. It’s deep; I wasn’t expecting to start the album with such intense self-examination. Frankly, it’s sexy.

“Hammer and the Nail” is a theme song for those who consistently get the short end of the stick in life. It perfectly describes getting slapped repeatedly by life, almost in a generational sense. We cannot run from our pasts or where we come from, sometimes you’re the hammer and sometimes you’re the nail.

Most people drink to either forget or to remember. Blackberry Smoke’s third track of Be Right Here, “Like It Was Yesterday,” is about just that. The lyric “drink to remember before tomorrow takes it away” is a genuine motto for some, especially if the golden years are behind you. Time is a thief. Hanging on to memories for dear life is a beautiful thing when properly channeled. 

“Be So Lucky” is a softer song about watching someone living the high life whilst they themselves struggle with everyday life, longingly wishing for more. With just a little bit of luck, one can accomplish anything.

“Azalea” is a love ballad proclaiming the safety of coming home and not running from problems. It’s filled with profound lyrics like “kissing other women hoping it finds you” that sent chills down my spine. A breakup with the love of your life is one of the deepest voids for sure, but is it always the best choice to go back? The song is inviting the lover to come back home to him, but it makes me ponder the logistics of what led to the deep cut in the first place. Coming home to the love of your life, or who you think is anyway, isn’t always the safest choice but damn it does feel nice while you have that person.

Kickin’ the album back into high energy with the album’s sixth song “Don’t Mind If I Do” is about living life while you can. The line “grab you a fist full of everything. Don’t mind if I do” just has a natural boogie to it. The adrenaline pumping bass and hard drums tie it all together. Live your best life while you can, we’re here for a good time not a long time. Don’t mind if I do.

You ever met someone who just doesn’t have anything positive or productive to add? “Whatcha Know Good” is a play on words for pleading someone who is always up to no good, who has nothing of value to add to a conversation, for something kind or positive. 

“Other Side of the Light” is more rock pop than blues rock, but Charlie’s southern twang is impossible to miss as he wails about asking for comfort in times of hardships and crisis. The song is in the point of view of someone talking to their mom, assures him that it’s just the other side of the light. The rough times in life are essentially the yin to the yang, the storm to the sunshine. This song beautifully tackles the feeling of enduring tragedy in a soulfully honest and vulnerable lullaby. 

“Little Bit Crazy” has a harmonic acapella opening with a sudden switch over to harder blues rock celebration of doing wild things with someone who keeps you hypnotized and yearning for more excitement. Someone who makes you think you’d have to be a little bit crazy to go along with their ideas yet still want more. It’s a siren’s upbeat call to fun; it perfectly describes that new crazy love with someone adventurous. And the music video! Set in the record studio, you can feel the energy of the backup vocalists as the melody reverberates from their lips. The cinematography is perfectly positioned at every angle, cutting to their instruments and musicians as they wail it out. Frankly, I want more of this song, I can’t wait to see it live. I hope it’s 15 minutes long with jams. Maybe I’m a little bit crazy.

“Barefoot Angel” is a sweet proclamation of love to the one who is always beside you, makes you appreciate having someone to go through the busy days with. Being under an angel’s wing is a heavy blues jam with a connective solo. If you have the chance, play this while she’s doing dishes, grab her, and dance spontaneously. This is the one. 

Be Right Here is a softer, more vulnerable album that displays a sense of self-awareness. With everything the band and their families are going through, they have every right to be angry and hateful at the world – they have every right to question what’s right and what’s wrong and push those boundaries but instead the band collectively wrote an emotionally bonding album that promotes kindness, support, and safety.

The Review: 8/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Dig A Hole
– Whatcha Know Good
– Don’t Mind If I Do
– Little Bit Crazy

The Big Hit

– Little Bit Crazy

Buy the album: Amazon